Hi everyone! It's my second fic! I thought Painting Fields would be my first and last but well, here we are! I'm actually a bit nervous about this because it's my first time writing something this long for anything other than school papers haha. But the plot bunny came, and I couldn't resist.
Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked, but I love it! Also, this story is inspired from 500 Days of Summer, The Last Five Years, and a true story I read in a NY Times article.
Hope you like it! :)
Prologue
They say, the Emerald City is a place where wishes come true. Being the capital of Oz itself, EC provides more opportunities and careers than one can hope to imagine. And if one would not go there for profession, one could definitely visit the view.
Aside from the towering skyscrapers and bustling city roads, at the heart of the city is the Great Lake. "The largest lake in all of Oz, in the shape of a perfect circle," as travel blogs frequently like to describe it. But it isn't just the lake that tourists flock to; it's the one located at its center—The Clock of the Time Dragon, seemingly floating above the water.
No one knows how the famous site came to be. With all the different Ozmas who reigned and the hullabaloo during the Wizard's regime, stories were constantly thwarted. Some say, the Supreme Ozma created the lake to bring life after the Great Drought. Some say, the same Ozma created it to trap the Time Dragon and save Oz. While some say, it was the Time Dragon itself who created it with a burst of its power. Most recent accounts speak of the Wizard's involvement, but historians claim the landmark is much older. No matter the truth behind its origins, however, it's still a mesmerizing sight.
In the modern day, most people don't give a twig about its lore and history. Everyone is all about papers, numbers, and how much they earn with each visitor. But despite this, there is still one thing common folks like to cling to when they visit—wishes. And the hope that they will come true. Because that is what they say the Time Dragon's power was, or in this case, 'is'—to mold and manipulate time in favor of the heart's deepest desire.
They say, when you make a wish to the Clock of the Time Dragon at sunset, exactly at the time when the sun casts its golden rays on the dragon statue's wings, your wish will come true. But only if it came from the heart. They say, the heartbeat is the only sound the Time Dragon can hear.
In the end, however, no one really knows if something happens by wishes or by works. For in life and in love, only time can tell.
Thank you PocketSevens, Fae's Flower, and LittleXMissXPerfect for encouraging me to write after reading my first story!
Watch out for the numbers in the next chapters! I'll try to update as regularly as I can. CCs are appreciated! RandR's too! :)